It's been a quiet old summer for the PlayStation Nation (we swore we'd stop writing that), but with an incredibly busy September looming, it feels like the drought is almost over. We've just got to get August's Game of the Month squared away and we'll be golden. As always, though, only one PS4 title can reign supreme.

If you're all about slamming hunks of metal into other hunks of metal, then Wreckfest is the game for you. This destruction derby simulator is a blast, with senior staff writer Liam Croft concluding "If you’re looking to bring destruction and pandemonium to motorsports, Wreckfest will suit your needs to a tee." Liam praised the game's array of modes, chaotic races, and lovingly made smashed up car models. A good old 7/10.

An incredibly charming adventure from the minds of former Media Molecule developers, Knights and Bikes is a unique and expertly crafted little release. "Knights and Bikes serves as a powerful nostalgia trip that’ll take you back to your imagination fuelled childhood adventures," wrote reviewer Alex Stinton, heaping praise on the game's touching narrative and captivating art style. A great 8/10 for this delightful outing.

Described as an "FMV masterclass" by Liam, Erica dropped onto PS4 out of nowhere after months of silence. It's been worth the wait for this one, though, as our review boasts of Erica's captivating story, excellent cast of characters, and beautiful direction. "Erica is an intriguing, admirable experience that those looking for something a little outside of the video game norm will surely latch on to," Liam concluded, awarding the title an 8/10.

Remedy is back, and it's brought a punchy action title to PS4. Control is all about wielding physics-bending powers and blasting furniture to pieces for fun. Liam, the machine that he is, was on review duty for this one too, writing: "Its explorative and combat-focused gameplay is a major highlight thanks to abilities that give you the chance to get creative." Alongside praise for the action, Liam also bigged up the title's "incredible sense of style". Control is our Game of the Month for August 2019.

Do you agree with our Game of the Month for August 2019? What was your favourite PS4 game in August? Vote in our poll, and then tell us why in the comments section below.

What was your PS4 Game of the Month for August 2019?

ControlEricaKnights and BikesWreckfestOther

How we decide our Game of the Month: At the end of each month, the editorial team put together a list of nominees. Nominees must have been released within the month, and preferably, they should have been reviewed by Push Square. We select nominees based on our own review scores.

The editorial team then presents this list of nominees to the rest of the Push Square staff. Staff are asked to vote for three games that they think deserve to be crowned Game of the Month. First choice gets 3 points, second choice gets 2 points, and third choice gets 1 point. When voting closes, we tally the results to determine the order of this article. The game with the most points is our Game of the Month.

Robert's been a dedicated PlayStation fan since the days of Tekken 2, and he still loves a good dust up. When he's not practising combos, he's usually getting lost in the latest 100-hour RPG, or, y'know, replaying The Witcher 3.

Erica is the game here I'm mostly likely to pick up eventually. As there's plenty of other story based games I've been eager to play, and as its release came out of nowhere, I'll hold off on getting it for a while.

To the people moaning about the order of the games or whatever, can I just say that I’ve read the explanation for how we decide Game of the Month multiple times, and I work here. There’s more to it than review scores, and it’s all outlined, every month.

@Quintumply As someone who still deciding whether or not to get Control in spite of the technical limitations highlighted in Liam review. It is certainly of interest that both push square staff and readers consider it to be the game of the month.

Noting that different methodologies deliver different results is not necessarily the same as moaning about the game of the month or review process. Having more information is certainly appreciated when making these decisions.

Still playing Fire Emblem any free minute I get but picked up knights & bikes to play with my daughter. We haven’t sat down to it yet but love little games like this to get her into gaming & the girl protagonists are a nice touch to help that 👍🏻

Control shouldn't have got it simply because it's a technical mess, I've completed it but given up on the plat until it gets patched. Late in the game the framerate was atrocious but now I'm in free roam it's even worse. An unplayable mess.

Every single fight is a slideshow, I'm talking single digits and this is on a pro, I dread to think how bad it is on a base. It's possibly the worst optimized game I've ever played on PS4. That it released in this state is absolutely disgusting.

Having Control as game of the month for August is a shocking decision. The game is technically a mess in its current state. Combat lag is terrible, missions are broken that prevent progression, Map loading issues to name just a few problems with the game.